Subscribe
Follow Us
The Minnesota Timberwolves came out fairly strong in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, taking a 48-44 lead into halftime, but they had few answers versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on either side of the floor in the final 24 minutes. A 114-88 loss to the No. 1 seed will give them much to correct ahead of Thursday's Game 2 in the Paycom Center. Though, before beginning preparation for that battle, the Wolves' two biggest stars did manage to find some humor in the outcome.
When speaking to the media in the postgame press conference, Anthony Edwards pointed out something on the stat sheet to Julius Randle. The duo then shared an interesting chuckle, via ClutchPoints. It is obviously unclear what amused them, but there are plenty of figures from the contest that jump out. None of them are funny, however.
Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle were laughing at the box score after their Game 1 loss 😳pic.twitter.com/MWxzSlyViv
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 21, 2025
Timberwolves could not get it going down the stretch
Minnesota shot 34.9 percent from the field and was an abysmal 15-of-51 from behind the 3-point line (29.4 percent). The team conceded a frightening 31 points off 19 turnovers and was outscored 54-20 in the paint. Four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert tallied two points and three rebounds in 21 minutes of action, fading into the background in the double-digit road loss. Key role players Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined to shoot 7-of-36.
Yikes. Any one of these jarring stats could have realistically caught the attention of Edwards and Randle, but most fans speculate they were looking at the Thunder's side of the box score. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 14 shots from the charity stripe (made 11), fueling the harsh “free-throw merchant” narrative, which Doris Burke herself mentioned during Tuesday night's broadcast. Regardless of what brought on the laughter, the Timberwolves did not lose because of one particular thing.
OKC dominated Minnesota in the second half, holding its opponent to only 40 points. Edwards' first-half ankle injury could have contributed to the Wolves' lack of offensive cohesion, given that he put up only one shot in the entire fourth quarter, but this group could not generate momentum when it mattered most. A Game 2 win could completely change the perception fans currently have about this series, however.
When healthy, Anthony Edwards can ferociously attack the basket and punish defenders from distance. Julius Randle scored 20 points and drained five 3-pointers in the first half, but he added just eight following the break. If the former can stay healthy and aggressive and the latter provides a consistent offensive impact, the Timberwolves will really have a reason to smile.
They will get to work and try to salvage this road trip on Thursday.
